NHEC, ENGIE Announce Completion of Battery Storage Project by NHEC | May 17, 2021 | Energy Efficiency, UncategorizedPLYMOUTH, NH (May 17th, 2021) – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) announced the completion of its first utility scale energy storage project. The 2.45 megawatt (MW) battery project was developed in partnership with ENGIE North America (ENGIE), a leading provider of energy storage services. ENGIE will own and operate the battery unit, which is located on the site of NHEC’s 2 MW solar array in Moultonborough, NH. The battery unit will charge from NHEC’s distribution system during times of low demand and discharge during periods of peak regional electricity use. By discharging during hours of peak electric usage, the battery will save NHEC’s members on regional market and delivery charges while reducing demand on the grid. As part of the innovative partnership agreement with ENGIE, NHEC will discharge the battery to supply energy to its members up to 70 times per year. These discharges will be used to reduce NHEC’s transmission charges and regional capacity payments. The battery project will provide NHEC with insight and direct experience into how battery storage technologies respond to price signals and interact with its electrical system. NHEC estimates these discharges will save its members $2.3 million over the next 12 years. “Energy storage is a rapidly evolving technology that has a key place in our strategic vision for our business model of the future. It’s important for NHEC to gain firsthand experience with batteries so we can better understand the benefits they have to offer our members and the operation of our system,” said Steve Camerino, President and CEO of NHEC. “As more Co-op members install their own batteries, NHEC needs to be ready to support them with a flexible, responsive grid. We are excited to make significant progress on our strategic vision through this innovative partnership with ENGIE, which will provide benefits to all NHEC’s members.” “We are delighted to have completed this leading-edge storage project alongside NHEC,” said Laura Beane, Chief Renewables Officer of ENGIE North America. “The addition of battery storage systems such as these are not only delivering real value to customers today, but also helping to accelerate the energy transition. NHEC’s leadership in commissioning this project reflects their commitment to innovation in supporting cost effective, clean energy for their members,” she continued. The battery storage unit is the largest in New Hampshire and can fully charge or discharge within two hours. The battery is housed in a pre-fabricated 40 foot container located within the fence line of NHEC’s solar facility in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. The battery unit has on-site fire suppression equipment and will be monitored 24 hours a day, year-round. About New Hampshire Electric Cooperative NHEC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 85,000 homes and businesses in 118 New Hampshire communities. Headquartered in Plymouth, NH, our business is to maintain and service our 6,000 miles of energized line in order to provide our members with the highest level of service. About ENGIE North America ENGIE North America Inc. offers a range of capabilities in the United States and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize and digitalize their operations. These include comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resource use and expense; clean power generation; energy storage; and retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options. Nearly 100% of the company’s power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE S.A. relies on their key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to customers. With 170,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, we are a community of Imaginative Builders, committed every day to more harmonious progress. For more information on ENGIE North America, please visit our LinkedIn page or Twitter feed, www.engie-na.com and www.engie.com
Welcome New Member – Cathedral Ledge Distillery! by NHEC | Nov 30, 2020 | Energy Efficiency, UncategorizedWith modern energy efficiency built into its classic timber frame construction, the new Cathedral Ledge Distillery will soon be lifting spirits in North Conway! The organic “grain to glass” distillery has worked closely with NHEC to identify and pursue energy efficiency opportunities, as well as the incentives that have made them more affordable to install. “They’ve been a good sounding board,” said Cathedral Ledge owner Christopher Burk of his experience working with NHEC Commercial Accounts administrators Chelsea Smith and Joe Lajewski. “There are a lot of options when you’re building new, it requires some pre-planning and that’s where NHEC helped tie it together.” Burk said NHEC’s technical assistance early in the building design process was important. Working with building engineers Resilient Buildings Group of Concord, NH, NHEC provided analysis of various energy efficiency measures from the building shell to the distilling process. “This technical assistance early in the process was critical and it’s what we really want members to know,” said NHEC’s Joe Lajewski. “We can be most effective in helping members early in the building process. Changes to key energy systems are difficult to make once construction documents are finalized.” Distilling is an energy-intensive process, Burk explained, requiring lots of thermal energy followed by rapid cooling. To maximize the building’s efficiency, energy recovery tanks were installed underground, capturing hot water from the distilling process and circulating it through the radiant floor heating in the winter. In the building’s retail area and tasting room, highly-efficient heat pumps supplement the radiant floor heat in winter while providing cooling and dehumidification in summer. Other energy efficiency features of Cathedral Ledge Distillery include: 10-inch poly insulation beneath timber frame exterior (beyond code) High-efficiency propane boiler All LED lighting Dark Sky-compliant outdoor lighting w/photo-sensitive dimmers The business, located at 3340 White Mountain Highway in North Conway, also features two Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations on-site for customer use. LEARN MORE ABOUT NHEC INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL EV CHARGERS! Burk says he’s aiming to open to the public before the end of the year. Pallets of organic grain and empty glass bottles are awaiting the distillery’s first run of vodka and gin. “We’re so close I can taste it,” he said. ____________________________________________________________ BUILDING NEW? MAJOR RENOVATION OR EXPANSION? Call the NHEC Commercial Accounts team BEFORE you build! Chelsea Smith Commercial Accounts Administrator 603.536.8855; smithc@nhec.com Energy needs and rate analysis Guidance on available NHEC incentives SmartHub Energy Management Joe Lajewski, C.E.M. Energy Solutions Program Administrator 603.536.8663; lajewskij@nhec.com Identify energy efficiency opportunities and technologies Guidance on NHEC program incentives to defray costs Assistance with incentive applications